"What are we doing again?" Skyla asked as the airship we were in passed over the shoreline and into Griffon territory. Visiting a foreign nation was our summer activity, and unlike Ponyville, mom and dad would be with us for the whole trip.
"We're introducing both of you to High Lord Ironwing,” dad explained. “He has the same rank in the Griffon Empire as your aunts in Equestria and us in the Crystal Empire. The griffons are friendly with us, so introductions must be done.”
“Is this a super important thing?”
“We won’t be talking about policy or politics,” mom assured. “It’s a simple meet and greet, along with a short trip around the capitol, Griffonstone. That said, there will be something both of you will have to do. Your dad and I had to go through it as well, and it isn’t pleasant, but it is important, and it gets easier over time.”
Visions of a difficult obstacle course in some kind of water park danced through my head, which I found amusing. I knew I wouldn’t make it through anything like that, but it was still fun to imagine.
Mom looked out over the balcony with me. “You’re not scared of falling off?”
“Nope,” I confidently answered.
“Or the height we’re at?”
“We’re on an airship, so it’s alright.” The solid planks under my hooves were a far cry from the softness of clouds, but they wouldn't dissipate, which I found greater comfort in.
“You know you’ve got to learn how to fly at some point, right?”
I glanced back at my wings and wished I could use them properly instead of flopping. “The airship is a solid enough surface for me to not worry about that. Also, tossing me off to teach me how to fly would look bad, so you won’t do that. I’m safe.”
"Yes, yes. We'll still work on your wings when we get home."
“Yes, mom.”
"From the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor, Princess Skyla, and Princess Inova," a griffon announced as we approached High Lord Ironwing's throne room.
The doors opened for us and things were a bit different than I expected. The throne was elevated higher than the one in the Crystal Empire, but it was empty. Instead, there was a table in the middle of the room with a fancy brown and white tablecloth on it. There were four chairs on the side we were on, and on the other side sat a griffon wearing light armor that looked more decorative than functional. "Welcome, Royals of the Crystal Empire," he cordially said. "It's an honor to see you all in person."
"Thank you," mom warmly replied. "How have things been in the. . . Has it really been fifteen years since my last visit?"
"To the day," Ironwing said. "I had my archivist confirm it. Come, have a seat, and I'll have lunch brought out." Skyla was in the chair at the right end of the table almost immediately. Mom and dad took the middle chairs, and I took the last one. "Skyla is fast," he noted.
"She heard 'lunch' and that was it," dad said. "She loves food."
“We’ve yet to find something she doesn't like," mom added.
"We'll see about that." Ironwing clapped twice and some griffons came in with covered plates. They were set down in front of us and the domes were lifted, revealing a decent looking salad with slightly steaming strips of something brown with red in the middle on the side. There was a fork and knife with the meal as well, meaning I couldn’t just plant my muzzle in the meal. I also noticed a pair of griffons, each a distance from the ends of the table, standing there with empty buckets. "I won't keep the fillies waiting, so let's begin."
Mom, dad, and Skyla used their levitation to use their utensils while I picked mine up with my forehooves. This got a raised eyebrow from Ironwing as he ate his meal, but he didn't say anything about it. I was just starting to lift two objects at once with my practice at home, so using the utensils was out of my magical grasp.
After I had some of the salad, I went for one of the brown and red strips. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw the bucket griffon tense up. The strip smelled good, so I took a bite. It was unlike anything I'd had before, and chewing it was a little tough, but it tasted great.
Shortly after Skyla finished wolfing down her meal, she started groaning. "I don't feel too good. . ." She began wavering in her seat and started looking a little green. The bucket griffon at her end of the table rushed into action, putting the bucket on the floor and grabbing her head. I kept my ears and gaze pointed away from my sister losing her lunch, lest I lost mine.
"Show her where she can clean up," Ironwing ordered. The bucket griffon flew off while another griffon came in and showed my shaking and dazed sister out of the throne room.
After everything calmed down, I went back to my meal. My bucket griffon was now next to the table. "Can I help you?"
"I'm just waiting," the bucket griffon calmly said.
I looked between the bucket on the floor and him. "I feel fine."
"You're sure?"
"I know what it feels like when that's about to happen, and I'm not feeling it." My experience with Tanuki made sure of that.
Ironwing chuckled. "Back off a bit, but be ready," he ordered. "You're really not feeling anything, Princess Inova?"
I shrugged. "I'm feeling less hungry. I don't know what caused Skyla to-"
"Inova, you've been eating meat," dad bluntly interrupted. "The first time we tried it, we reacted the same way Skyla did."
I raised an eyebrow at the explanation. "Meat?"
"Animal flesh," Ironbeak explained. "Medium rare steak, from cattle."
I remembered some of the books of animals I'd read before, and one note I'd wondered about suddenly made sense. "Griffonian cattle, right?"
"Correct. You can't have a conversation with these animals."
I gave a sigh of relief. "That's good." As I finished my meal, an idea began forming in my head. I wanted to explore and learn a bit. "May I go talk with the chef?"
Mom and dad gave a nod, then Ironwing nodded to the bucket griffon. "He will show you the way, and he'll keep the bucket just in case you have a delayed reaction to the meat."
I nodded. "That sounds good."
The chef, an old gray griffon, looked down at me. Since he was taller, this was natural. "Yes, Princess Inova?"
"That was a good salad and. . . Steak, I think it was?"
"Thank you. But. . ." He glanced at the bucket griffon. "Are you sure you're okay?"
I nodded. "Yes, Mr. . ."
"Chef Borke."
"Mr. Borke." Something about his name and position sounded strangely appropriate. "Can I see how things are done in here?"
"I can give you a tour, but I won't start cooking just to show off." His tone offered no room for argument.
"That's fine."
Chef Borke showed me around, from the cold storage to the pantries and various cooking stations. It was all very well organized, and some of it looked like it had crystal components that might have come from the Empire. The bucket griffon followed for a bit as well, but left when it became clear I was fine.
Not having Skyla with me for the tour made it very low stress, though I was still worried about her.
Right at the end of the tour, an order for some brisket came in, and I got to watch Chef Borke do his work. Towards the end of it, he sliced off some of it and served up the main bulk of the cut, leaving a number of bits behind. "What are those?" I asked.
"Oh, those? That's waste. We throw those out."
A new idea began churning in my head as I looked at the pieces. "Can you save those? I think they would go well with pasta and cheese."
"Princess, I clearly said I wouldn't start cooking to show off," he firmly stated.
"But this is. . . An experiment. Please? I would try to make it myself, Mr. Borke, but I can't levitate enough yet."
He gave my idea some thought. "I'll check with the High Lord. While I'm doing that, pick out a pasta in case he approves."
As he left, I went over to the pantry where the pasta was. "If I'd given a good word on this stuff when it was made, I'd be wildly rich." The different pastas all looked good, and they all sounded good. Cheesifying any of them would work, so the choice was difficult.
Chef Borke returned. "The High Lord is allowing it, as long as he and your parents get to sample the result."
The good news made my good mood even better. "Nice! Which pasta is his favorite?"
"The large elbows." He picked out a package of them and set them on the counter before getting the water he needed. "So you think these scraps would go well on cheese covered pasta?"
"I don't know why it sounds good, but it does. Why do you throw those pieces away?"
"The previous High Lord ordered it, and it's just been that way since then. I was also trained that way, so this is a bit odd for me. What kind of cheese are we using?"
"Something creamy, and I also think mixing in a little bit of milk and butter after straining it would help too."
"You are speaking in combinations I've never dreamed of. At least we won't get in trouble since the High Lord permitted it, and he is very understanding."
I patiently waited as Chef Borke brought my idea to realization. As he did, I thought about a name for it.
Finally, the time came to show off his work and my vision. He put it onto two plates, put them under a dome on a cart and brought it out. "My Lord, I present Princess Inova's experimental cuisine."
It was fancy name time. "I call it burnt ends over pasta au gratin."
Chef Borke lifted the lid and placed one of the plates and a clean fork in front of the High Lord. Ironwing took in the smell first, then picked up the fork, skewered a burnt end and some of the cheesy pasta, then took a bite.
It felt like time slowed down as mom, dad, Chef Borke, and I waited for his opinion, every second a minute long. Finally, the High Lord set his fork down to deliver his verdict. "Princess."
"Yes?" Mom asked.
"Inova, actually."
"Yes?" I asked.
"You came up with this within the last hour?"
"Yes. I don't really know where the idea came from, though."
"It's a very good idea. Borke, if I remember right, these are the deckle cuts you've mentioned, right?"
"They are, my Lord," Chef Borke answered. "We've been tossing them out since the previous High Lord ordered it."
"I like calling them burnt ends. Start saving them back and see what you can do with them."
"You could top a salad with them," I suggested. "So, do you like it, High Lord?"
"Princess, that is not a strong enough word for it. This has brightened my day more than Celestia's sun. I must reward you somehow. Let's talk about that later." He turned to the chef. "For now, find an attendant to escort and guide young Inova through the castle."
"At once, my Lord," Chef Borke said with a bow before leaving with me at his side. On the way, I saw mom and dad accept the second plate to try my creation. The chef seemed to stand a bit taller as we went through the halls. "You've given me some new things to consider, Princess Inova."
"I really don't know where that idea came from," I admitted. "And I was just lucky with that brisket order coming in."
"Sometimes a bit of luck is all it takes." He found a wandering attendant and waved her down. "This is where we must part ways for now. Have an excellent day, Princess."
I responded to his bow with one of my own. "You too, Chef Borke." I went to the griffon attendant. "What's your name?"
"I'm just an attendant, so it doesn't matter," she said, sounding like she'd been defeated and brought to heel some time ago.
"But how can I talk with you if I don't know your name? Please don't make me order you to tell me your name."
She sighed in resignation. "My name is Gilda."
"So, Gilda. . ." I looked around the hallway and realized I had no idea where I was. "What does an attendant do?"
"Almost anything. What do you want to do?"
I gave the question some consideration. "Can you teach me some griffon history?"
"I'll take you to the library."
Skyla, for the first time I could remember, looked very uncertain about the meal in front of her. Specifically, the roasted chicken slices. They were off to the side on her plate and looked very different from the steak, but were clearly meat. There was a bucket griffon near her, ready to move if needed.
There was a bucket griffon near me too, but he must have heard about how well I handled the steak since he looked relaxed and almost bored.
"Skyla, you have to eat the chicken," dad stated.
"Can Inova have mine?" Skyla asked. That question coming from her was surreal. "I'll eat everything else."
"No. You have to eat it so you can get used to it." Dad ate some of a roasted chicken slice from his plate to demonstrate. "It wasn't easy for your mom or me to get used to it either, but we did it because we had to."
"It's part of being a Princess," mom explained as she had some of her chicken.
"But. . ." Skyla nervously looked at her bucket griffon buddy.
"It's pretty good," I said after having some of mine. "Very nicely seasoned."
"Can't I just. . . Skip this?" It looked like something Skyla struggled to ask.
"You do know that could be an insult to the chef, right?" Dad firmly asked.
My sister turned to me. "How are you doing okay with it?"
I shrugged and answered honestly. "I don't know." I went back to my meal. Chef Borke was quite talented at what he did.
After yet another meal of Skyla resisting meat, I went out to the hall, wondering just how Skyla could turn down bacon. That stuff was delicious.
A familiar hen was out in the hallway. "Hey, Gilda," I warmly greeted.
"Princess Inova," she answered with a bow before dutifully falling in step with me. "What would you like to do today?"
"Can I see a blacksmith? I heard mom and dad say something about good horseshoes coming from the Griffon Empire once.” I didn’t want any since they had to be nailed onto my hooves, but quality was quality.
"Are you sure? It's a long walk to the nearest smith."
"Oh." Clearly, she had been informed of my inability to fly, and I briefly cursed my inability to fly. "Is there an armory here?"
"As long as you don't move or touch anything, we can go there."
"Thank you." I followed her as we walked through the castle. "So. . . Have you ever been to Equestria?"
"Not for a while." She sounded sort of sad. "I had a friend there. We fell out after I. . . Kind of bullied her friends. They're all very important ponies. My punishment for that was to become a castle attendant, and here I am over twenty years later."
I stopped, and so did Gilda. The armory suddenly held almost no appeal. "Have you apologized for it?"
"After what happened? If I face her, she'll probably try and beat me up, and I know she can do it too. She's too fast in the air for me, and I haven't gotten any faster since then."
There were a few notable fast pegasus mares I'd learned about in my classes and the newspaper, and I wanted to figure out more. I chose the direct method. "What’s her name?"
"Rainbow Dash." The weight of what she said she'd done suddenly hit me. She had very likely bullied the Element Bearers, the same ponies Skyla and I had spent our last summer with.
I voiced the first idea that came to mind. "What if you wrote her a letter?"
"A letter? She'll just throw it away when she sees my name."
"I've got a pen pal in Ponyville. He mostly just complains to me about what's going on there, and I do the same thing. What if you include some of that?"
She raised an eyebrow at my pen pal explanation. "What does he complain about? If I may ask."
"His mom's Pinkie Pie."
She winced at the short and succinct explanation. "Okay, I can understand that." She thought about it for a moment. "How about we go to the armory so I can think it over?"
"Okay." I began following her again. Her steps seemed a bit heavier, but she also seemed a bit more relaxed as well.
"Come on, you've got this!" Gilda barked at me. We were outside in one of the training grounds, and at mom's request, she was giving me my wing practice. "You're not a flop, so stop flopping!"
"You think I haven't tried?" I closed my wings and got back to my hooves. "I don't know why it happens. I wish I did."
Gilda grumbled. "Maybe we need a more direct approach. Sit down." She gently grabbed my wings, stretched them out, and started moving them up and down. "Now close your eyes and focus on your wings."
I followed her directions and concentrated on the feeling of my wings being moved while I sat still. "Now keep moving your wings," she said as she slowly released her grip, only for my wings to flop to the ground when she let go. "Are you even trying, Princess?"
"I am!" I objected as I opened my eyes and turned to face her. "I was trying to keep my wings moving without flopping. It didn't work. It did not work. It does not work."
She let out a sigh heavy with frustration. "You are being very difficult."
"I'd love to not be difficult with this! I'd love to take to the skies and look down from high above, like any other pegasus or griffon. I'd love to not need help just cleaning my own wings. I know my own challenges, and I've been working on them for a long time."
"You're ten years old and you're still trying to get the flight basics started?"
"I KNOW!" I shouted out of frustration and anger. "NOBODY'S AS UPSET WITH ME AS ME, GILDA! I WANT TO DO ALL THE NORMAL STUFF LIKE ANYPONY ELSE, BUT I CAN'T, AND I KNOW IT! I KEEP TRYING, BUT I JUST! CAN’T! DO IT!" With my short tirade over, I took a moment to slow down and catch my breath.
"Hey, uh. . ." She quietly started, startled by my outburst.
"I'm sorry, but. . ." I laid down on the ground long enough to fold my wings up, then stood back up. "It's just how it is with me. I really wish I knew why so I could get over it. Let’s just go for a walk around the grounds.”
“As you command, Princess.” Gilda quietly fell in step with me. The silence was tense and uncomfortable for both of us.
We hadn’t even finished one lap when a griffon guard came down. “Gilda, you’re wanted for assaulting Equestrian royalty.”
Gilda and I shared confused looks. “What?” She flatly asked.
“When?” I asked.
“About fifteen minutes ago, in the training grounds,” he reported. “An attendant saw Gilda standing over Princess Inova while she was down in the dirt.”
“You mean like this?” I opened my wings and promptly fell forward onto the ground. “It happens all the time, sir. You can ask the rest of my family.”
“I still need to take her in.”
“Then you’re taking me with her!” As fast as I could, I closed my wings, got to my hooves, and got on Gilda’s back. “It was wing practice as normal for me, and nothing else.”
The guard sighed. “The High Lord won’t be happy about this development.”
After the hearing and speedy trial, my family and I gathered in the very nice suite we’d been staying in. “I’m proud of how you stood up for Gilda, Inova,” mom said. “Though perhaps you were a bit too bold in your approach.”
“Demanding a medical check on the spot for signs of the alleged attack was a bit much,” dad added in agreement.
“I didn’t know you could get that loud, sis,” Skyla said.
“Gilda didn’t do anything to me, so I had to get the truth out,” I stated. “I expected the misconception from the other attendant, but the grudge he held against her was really stupid. Put them together, and you get a bogus attack. She’s become a friend in my book, and I just had to stand up for her.”
Skyla looked in horror at the sampler plate in front of her, and her empty stomach churned. Steak, chicken, pork chops, burnt ends, bacon, ham, and sausage. The only thing that wasn’t meat was the bed of rice and lettuce underneath, soaking up all the juices from the meat. “Can I get something else?”
“Not until you finish this,” Shining Armor stated. “You’re already getting better about it, so all you need to do is keep working at it like Inova with her magic and wings.”
The little Princess groaned at the answer. “Where is she anyways?”
“Ironwing promised to let her meet the Hussars,” Cadence explained. “She was incredibly excited about it.”
“Do you think she knows they’re not from the siege of Neighenna?” Shining asked. “That was a few hundred years ago.”
“She probably knows.”
I kept up an excited facade when the Hussars, the most elite and best soldiers of the Griffon Empire, arrived at the castle. Their armor looked great, but it just didn’t match the image I’d come up with in my head. The yellow fabric, solid plate armor, and angular designs, the same as the ones in the Siege of Neighenna, just didn’t feel right to me. I also had this feeling that something was missing, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.
They were all very polite, and I made sure to not only be polite in return, but do my best to hide my disappointment. They were meeting a Princess that admired their history, and I wasn’t about to ruin their day over that. Any tears of mine could wait.
I looked up from my book on the past rulers of the Griffon Empire. “Gilda?”
“Yes, Inova?” Gilda asked.
“Why does every ruler’s name consist of a metal and a body part? Steelclaw, Bronzewing, Ironbeak, Tintail, and more.”
“When a griffon becomes the High Lord, he changes his name to a name like those. He picks a metal and a body part, puts them together, and there you go. He changes his name after the coronation and before any other rulings can be made.”
“Huh.” I went back to reading.
High Lord Ironwing and Princess Cadence sat on a balcony overseeing the land and a distant thunderstorm. “Your fillies being here has made this an interesting visit, Princess Cadence.”
“I am sorry for Skyla’s stubbornness,” Cadence said. “We’ve never had any problems getting either of them to eat their food, so it’s a new struggle.”
“I’ve seen her improvement. She only suffers from mild discomfort now, but her reluctance remains.”
“It’s the first time we’ve seen her do this. She’s shared and given on occasion, but never refused food. But Inova. . . I’m concerned.”
“Is it because of how quickly she took to it with no problems?” Ironwing began scratching the stone railing. “I’m just as confused. Even Celestia and Luna have told me of their initial reactions to meat, and it was just like yours. It seems to be a pony thing.”
“Except for her. I told Luna, Luna told Twilight, and Twilight’s on a research binge into the occult now. I hope there’s nothing relevant to Inova down that cursed path.”
“On the topic of Inova, she’s really attached herself to Gilda, and I’ve seen Gilda actually look a bit happier recently.”
“The same Gilda that caused problems in Ponyville?” Cadence didn’t react to the crack of thunder coming from the distance. “Ironwing, she had better not be a bad influence on my filly.”
Ironwing was not wavered by the implied threat. “Respectfully, Princess, it’s the other way around. I’ve heard of a letter from here going out to Ponyville some weeks ago. Should there be a response, I will let you read it after I acquire it.”
After dinner one night, Gilda waved me down. “Princess Inova!”
“Hi, Gilda,” I answered. “What’s in your wing?”
“I decided to try writing something to Rainbow, and. . . I actually got a response. I wasn’t expecting it. Do you want to read it with me?”
I felt happy for her, so I followed her to the small room that served as her quarters. It was smaller than my room at home and was dominated by a big nest, but it seemed to work for her.
She rolled out the letter and we read it.
Dear Gilda,
I wasn’t expecting a letter from you. After the incident in Ponyville, you fled town and we never heard anything from you again. I’m glad you managed to stay out of trouble, even if it was by being made a castle attendant. I can’t imagine being stuck doing that for as long as you have.
Your apology is over two decades late, but if you’re really sincere about it, I’ll accept it. You could even come and visit the Captain of the Wonderbolts! That’s me, by the way. Lots of stuff has happened since you were here. The spirit of chaos lives with Fluttershy now, and I’m not talking about Pinkie Pie.
However, you will have to forgive me for doubting that Princess Inova of all ponies managed to talk you into sending that letter. Last time I saw her, she didn’t want much to do with anypony unless she had to or it was Apple Bloom, and seemed adamant about not wanting any friends. Then again, it’s been a year, and a lot can happen in that time. I’m willing to be proven wrong.
I’d like to give you a tour of Ponyville sometime if you come visit. I can be bribed with bacon to use a fancy voice for it.
Sincerely, Rainbow Dash
The implication that Rainbow had a tolerance for meat was a fleeting thought while I started thinking about a response. It had to be something more irrefutable and believable than a letter alone. A phrase that succinctly summed up the solution suddenly sprung to mind. “Pics or it didn’t happen. We need a picture of us being friendly for Rainbow to believe you.”
“Did I hear someone say she needed a picture?” A hen excitedly asked as she poked her head in through the door.
Gilda gestured to the hen. “Inova, this is Flo. She’s the only one in the castle that’s actually good at taking pictures. She’s also my roommate.”
“I’ll be right back!” Flo zoomed off, presumably to get the camera.
A few seconds later, I made a suggestion. “I think both of us reading the reply letter would be good enough for the picture.”
“Get over here.” Gilda guided me with a wing so I was laying down shoulder to shoulder with her. She left her wing draped over me and picked up the letter with her free talon so we could both look at it.
The door almost fell off when Flo returned with a vengeance. “Alright, if you could just. . . Well, you’re already in a good position. Just hold it. . .” The camera flashed once. “And we’re done.”
I looked at Flo in confusion. “That’s it? Just one picture?”
“Photography equipment and material is expensive here, Princess. I can’t afford to take lots of pictures for just one thing. Anyways, I’ll go develop that picture for you now.”
It was a few seconds before Gilda broke the silence. “You know, this is actually pretty nice.”
“Yeah.” I nestled a bit more against Gilda and decided to close my eyes for just a little bit before heading back to the suite.
Five minutes later, Ironwing entered the room. “Gilda,” he quietly said.
“My lord.” Gilda looked between him and the orange filly that was deep asleep and using her foreleg as a pillow. “I can’t bow right now.”
“That’s alright. I need to borrow that letter for a few minutes. I promise to return it.”
“Of course, my lord.” Gilda willingly gave him the letter.
Cadence and Shining both looked at the letter. “I am confused and impressed,” Shining said. “I’m glad that amends are being made, but I don’t know how Inova talked her into it.”
“This is a huge step for her,” Cadence added. “She couldn’t have known Gilda for two weeks when the first letter was sent.”
“That’s about the timeframe, if I recall correctly,” Ironwing said. “Inova’s been busy during her time here.”
“Skyla’s been staying in the suite as much as she can. It hasn’t been a pleasant trip for her, but she has to learn how to deal with such things in order to be a good Princess.”
“The sooner, the better, as with most things.”
“Where is Inova anyways?” Shining asked.
“She’s asleep in Gilda’s quarters. Given the late hour, she’ll probably spend the night there instead of the suite. I have full faith that Gilda will make sure she’s with you for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Unharmed,” Cadence sternly added.
“Gilda won’t hurt Inova, Princess. She’s too much of a friend of hers to do that.”
When Ironwing returned to Gilda, the hen had fallen asleep with her head next to Inova’s. As quietly and as gently as he could, he wedged the letter he had borrowed into the edge of the nest and left. Unlike some previous High Lords, he gave all due respect to his attendants, especially when they performed their tasks well as she had.
In his eyes, Gilda had finally atoned for her crime, not through service, but the fact that she had reached out to apologize and seek forgiveness. It may have taken a ten year old filly to get her to do it, but she had done it. As he’d expected, the ponies she’d once offended were willing to give her a second chance. As for Ironwing, he had an offer to plan out.
Before breakfast, High Lord Ironwing made an announcement. “Everyone, I have a decree. Gilda, this involves you.” I was suddenly nervous for her, and hoped nothing bad was about to happen.
Gilda nervously stepped up to him. “Yes, my Lord?”
“Based on the correspondence I’ve seen and inferred between you and Rainbow Dash, I am willing to declare your offense against the Element Bearers forgiven.”
Gilda’s jaw went slack for a bit before she found her words. “You. . . You really mean it?”
“Yes. You are no longer an indentured attendant of the castle. Your service and time, however, cannot be overlooked. With that in mind, I would like to promote you to overseer. You’ve been here long enough that you know what’s what, and I believe you can handle the responsibilities.”
I waited in silence for Gilda’s answer. The High Lord was being very generous with his offer, and nobody had expected it. Her silence was very understandable.
Finally, she answered. “My Lord, if it’s acceptable, I would like to keep being an attendant until our guests leave. I can’t let my new responsibilities and duties get in the way of Princess Inova enjoying her time here.”
More tense silence filled the air for a second, then Ironwing loudly laughed out loud. “Gilda, that is acceptable! I’d like you to continue what you’ve been doing and be a friend to the fillies. To that end, your first task for the day is to have breakfast with us.”
“I will, my Lord.” She sat next to me at the table and had a big smile on her face.
I kept an eye on Skyla as we had lunch a few days after Gilda’s promotion announcement. “You okay, sis?”
“I’m fine.” She cut up and ate part of a slice of ham very mechanically. “How are you okay with meat?”
I shrugged as I cut into and ate some of my ham. “I dunno. Gilda?”
The sole griffon and sole adult at the table also shrugged. For some reason, she was much happier than before. “I have less of a clue than you.”
“And I have no clue.”
Gilda turned to Skyla. “You’re not getting sick from the meat anymore, I see.”
“I don’t like meat.” Skyla resumed mechanically eating the ham she had. “It’s gross.”
“More for me if we get some at home!” I cheered. I knew it wouldn’t happen, but if it did, I would be happy.
On the airship ride back, after spending nearly the whole summer in the Griffon Empire, I revealed what I'd gotten as a reward for my burnt end mac and cheese creation. "You really only took a thousand bits as a reward?" Dad asked. "I know that may seem like a lot to you, but-"
"I also had Chef Borke get a thousand bits," I interjected. "He did the work, he deserves some reward too."
"A thousand bits really isn't that much in government."
"I also got an official document of my contribution, along with pictures of me shaking hooves. . . Talons. . . Whatever, with both Ironwing and Borke. I'll get them framed. That's the real payout."
I heard him mutter, "Sweet Celestia, she's already thinking politically."
“Inova, it’s not a good idea to lord something over an ally,” mom chided. “Especially the griffons.”
I scoffed at the suggestion. “What? Pft, no, I’m not going to do that. I’ll put all that in a filing cabinet and save it in case the griffons turn hostile. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go read the book that Ironwing let me have.” I went to our very nice cabin and got my Griffonian book on equine biology out. The section I was interested in was the digestive system and how it adapts to meat. My unusual lack of reaction had made me very curious. Sadly, most of it was speculative, but it still gave me something to think about for the flight home.